Daniel E. Holloway
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Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding complaint alleges improper discharge before fatal epiglottitis

The complaint alleges that a 13-year-old patient presented to the emergency department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding with fever, vomiting, body aches, tachycardia, tachypnea, diminished breath sounds, abnormal metabolic values, and other concerning findings. Providers discharged the patient without radiological imaging, and the patient was found deceased at home two days later. An autopsy determined the cause of death was acute epiglottitis and pneumonia.

System
Emory University / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Facility
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding
Providers involved
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding / Alesia Fleming, M.D. / Jenna Gorbatkin, M.D. / Emory + Children’s Pediatric Institute, Inc. / Emory University
Pattern
Alleged discharge of a pediatric patient with abnormal vital signs and respiratory symptoms
Harm
Alleged death from acute epiglottitis and pneumonia two days after emergency-department discharge

Overview

This page concerns a public complaint alleging that providers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding improperly discharged a pediatric patient with abnormal vital signs and respiratory symptoms before the patient died from acute epiglottitis and pneumonia.

Chronology

The complaint alleges as follows:

  1. The patient presented to the Hughes Spalding emergency department on March 27, 2024 with fever, vomiting, and body aches.
  2. Nursing assessments documented an elevated heart rate, elevated respiratory rate, and severe pain.
  3. Laboratory testing on March 28, 2024 showed abnormal values, including elevated potassium and urea nitrogen.
  4. A nurse documented persistent elevated heart rate and diminished breath sounds before discharge.
  5. The patient was discharged on March 28, 2024 with diagnoses of fever, vomiting, and myalgia.
  6. The patient was pronounced dead at home on March 30, 2024.

Alleged failures

The complaint alleges the following failures:

  • Providers failed to properly treat and stabilize the patient before discharge.
  • Providers failed to perform radiological imaging despite respiratory symptoms.
  • Providers failed to recognize the significance of persistent tachycardia and tachypnea.
  • The complaint alleges that the patient’s death from acute epiglottitis and pneumonia resulted from the alleged failures in emergency care.

Entities and tags

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes SpaldingEmory + Children’s Pediatric Institute, Inc.Emory UniversityAlesia Fleming, M.D.Jenna Gorbatkin, M.D.EpiglottitisPneumoniaTachycardiaTachypneaRadiological imagingDelayed or missed diagnosisPremature dischargeWrongful deathEmergency medicinePediatricsPediatric emergency medicine